Please Note: This is Not an Organic or Heirloom product. These seed potatoes are commercially produced Certified Class 1 Seed Potatoes.

Description
Valor is a main crop variety producing high yields of large uniform white skinned creamed fleshed tubers of excellent baking and pre-packing quality. An ideal variety for organic production due to outstanding resistance to blight and potato cyst Nematodes. Combines high resistance and tolerance to PCN Ro1 and Pallida.

The variety exhibits good resistance to drought and is very tolerant to heat stress which makes the variety very suitable for growing in the desert lands throughout the world.

Characteristics
Storability: Medium term

Bruising: Medium to good resistance

Drought: High tolerance

Dormancy
: Mid term

Gangrene
: Medium

Spraing
: Good resistance

Potato Virus Y: Medium resistance

Potato Leaf Roll Virus
: Good resistance

Common Scab: Good resistance

Black Leg
: Good resistance

Tuber Blight
: Good resistance

Foliage Blight: Good resistance 

Sprouting Instructions
Place the seed potatoes in boxes (for small amounts, cardboard egg boxes are ideal) in a light and airy position at a temperature of roughly 10°C.

The potato seed should be positioned so the the sprouts are uppermost and the 'stalk' end (where they were severed form the parent plant) is at the bottom. Sometimes this is a bit difficult to judge, but if you get it wrong, and the potatoes sprout from the bottom end, simply rub off the sprouts and turn the potato to the correct position.

As the potato seed produce sprouts, remove all but the best 2-4 sprouts to ensure that they receive all the goodness of the seed potato. The ideal sprout length at planting time is 2.5cm although this is not critical. What is critical, is that the sprouts are green and not white coloured. White sprouts are caused by not enough light.

If the sprouts appear too early for planting the potatoes outside, simply rub them off cleanly and they will re-sprout in a couple of weeks time. Research has shown that the sprouts can be removed up to five times without any ill effect on the sprouts which will replace them.

Planting Instructions
Mid August to mid October (depending on your area) is the ideal time to plant the sprouted potatoes in the open ground.

Planting into the Ground:
Plant maincrop potatoes about 35cm apart, in rows which are 75cm apart. Where you are planting more than one row, the rows should (ideally) run from North to South to allow each plant its full share of sun.

Dig a trench about 10cm deep, placing the potatoes in it with the sprouts pointing upwards. Hand fill the trench over the potatoes trying to avoid damaging any sprouts. Scatter bonemeal or similar long lasting organic fertiliser over the top soil and rake it in.

Planting in Tyres or "Highrise" Boxes:
Plant two to three potatoes, evenly spaced, per tyre or one to two per 30cm box.

Growing Instructions
Frost damage is the first concern in the early stages. If shoots emerge above the soil level and frost threatens, draw a little soil from the bed edges over them.

After the potatoes plants have grown to about 20cm rake up some soil from in between the rows and cover the plants with it, leaving only a few centimetres of the top of the plant still showing. Repeat this exercise again in two to three weeks time.

During the growing season, ensure that weeds are removed regularly. A month or so after planting, the dense foliage of the plant should then block out sufficient light to deter all but the most vigorous weeds.

As the potato plant grows, do not remove or 'stop' the foliage, it is supplying food to the tubers. However, remove any flower heads or buds which appear because these will produce potato seeds which will divert energy from the potato tubers.

Growing in Tyres or "Highrise" Boxes:
As above - As the plants grow, keep adding soil to cover them (leaving only a few centimeters showing) and keep adding tyres or box sections to grow your highrise structure. It is not advised to build the structure more than a meter high though.

Harvesting and Storage
Potatoes are ready for harvest when the foliage first starts to die and turn yellow. Early (new) potatoes can be lifted earlier to get the very tastiest potatoes. In this case, harvest them about a week after the potato plant flowers first appear. New potatoes only produce a couple of handfuls of potatoes per plant, so dig up the whole plant.

For all potatoes, dig them up from the side of the ridge (a fork or spade are both fine) to avoid damaging the potatoes. The foliage can be placed on the compost heap only if it completely free from disease - if not, burn it. If you don't need all the potatoes from a plant at one time or if you want a few early in the season, simply burrow around the roots with your hands and remove the potatoes you need. The remaining potatoes will continue to grow.

Remove any soil clinging to the potatoes and leave them on the soil for a few hours to dry out - if they are stored damp, they will rot. Leaving them on the soil surface in the sun will harden the skin slightly, doubling the storage time - this is especially important for maincrop potatoes. Store the potatoes in boxes or sacks, checking them every few days, removing all but those in good condition. Damaged or blemished potatoes should be eaten immediately.

One word of caution, some potato flowers may well turn to berries which are definitely poisonous. Eaten in sufficient amounts the berries can be fatal. You may wish to remove them if children are likely to see them.